Are there objective ways of measuring political commitment? What are the relevant indicators? Which indicators are most useful from your perspective? (e.g., New legislation enacted, Policy announcements, Budgetary allocation and support, Prominence of relevant institutions, Level of media interest, etc.)

Based if possible on these indicators, how would you evaluate the political commitment today to sustainable development in the country(ies)/region(s) of interest to your group, compared to 1992? How would you evaluate the political commitment of the international community compared to 1992?

Botswana?s political commitment to Sustainable development (SD) is evidently good, as seen in the following indicators:

Budgetary allocation
? Environment pillar in the National Development Planning process
? Environmental Fund
? Increase in budget to finance the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development(ISPAAD) and Livestock Management and Infrastructure Development(LIMID) to assist farmers diversify the agricultural production base

? Integrated planning
? Result based planning/performance- National and District Development Planning
? National Strategy Office
? Performance Improvement Unit and public service reforms unit
? Political champions e.g. Minister driving poverty alleviation
? Development and Innovation Hubs (i.e. Transport, mining, Information technology, Science etc)
? Economic diversification drive
? Decentralisation
? Government is investing heavily in education, health and rural development as a way of showing political commitment to sustainable development.
? Introduction of sectoral High Level Consultative Council for government to continuously engage the private sector and the civic organisations on national issues which affect the national development where progress is reported on a quarterly basis.

Question 4

Are there specific industry sectors or resource areas (e.g., water, energy, biodiversity, other) where national political commitment to achieve sustainable development goals has been especially strong? If so, what factors explain that commitment?

The country?s experiences with the HIV/AIDS and Natural Disasters. Similar approaches of high level intervention and monitoring and evaluation at that same high level would assist apply same to SD. Also, Government is investing heavily in education, health and rural development as a way of showing political commitment to sustainable development. The experiences in those areas could also demonstrate as models for political commitment to SD.

Challenges

Question 6

Looking forward to the next 10 years, what are your government?s / organization's highest priorities for accelerating progress towards sustainable development?

Through support that is informed by priorities of receiving countries; recognition of national policies; policy monitoring systems; capacity building elements; building data bases; and recognition of traditional knowledge. International, (multilateral or bi-lateral) cooperation on transboundary issues that fosters common and agreed targets and expectations.

The international cooperation could strengthen support for sustainable development by financially supporting development projects and human capital for capacity building for sustainable development.

Risks

Question 8

Among your country?s senior national policy makers, would you say the predominant view of the three pillars of sustainable development is that: ____there are difficult trade-offs among them? ____ they are strongly complementary? Please briefly elaborate on your answer.

There are difficult trade-offs among them: Sectors often have to consider immediate mandate related goals before consideration of SD principles, especially in cases where there is limited data, information or knowledge. The drive for economic and social development is often overwhelming, at the expense of environmental integrity.

B - Assessing progress and remaining gaps in implementation

Experiences

Question 1

What indicators or information on sustainable development have proven to be most useful for assessing gaps and progress towards sustainable development? Please rank according to importance with 1 = most important. Please also attach or provide a web link to relevant statistical databases.

Based as far as possible on these indicators, please provide an assessment of the progress made towards sustainable development over the past 18 years (1992-2010), (a) at the level of the country(ies) or regions of interest to your group, where relevant and (b) globally. Please attach any relevant technical studies or policy analyses. For each input, kindly provide the original article or url, and enter a short abstract.

Ministry of agriculture introduced several programmes and projects to boost agricultural production. This has resulted in the sector being self sufficient in poultry production and eggs. It has also led to diversification of agriculture such as venturing into horticulture, floriculture, apiculture, urban and peri-urban agriculture and dairy production etc

Has your country / organization / the country(ies) or region(s) of interest to your group introduced or promoted integrated planning and decision making for sustainable development? If so, under what title (NSDS, PRSP, Five Year Plan, NCS or NEAP, Other)? What are the lessons from this experience?

Yes. Government formed parastatal organisations according to sectors to drive developments in those sectors. Government provides funding to these organisations for them to be able to carry out their mandates.

Question 7

Is the technical assistance from UN system entities a key factor in explaining success? If so, in what areas or sectors (e.g., MDGs, water, energy, health, agriculture, biodiversity, forests, climate change, jobs, other)?

In so far as agriculture is concerned is correlation between UN system entities technical assistance and sustainable development. The ministry has used technical assistance in different areas to develop the sector and for capacity building.

Other disease such as HIV&AIDS, TB, AH1N1 etc International support is need to mitigate against climate change, buy drugs to fight against none communicable diseases which are not given due attention as compared to HIV&AIDS and TB

By integrated approach where programmes are designed to mitigate against any calamities that could immediately affect the poor communities

E - Institutional framework for sustainable development

Experiences

Question 2

How can the institutional framework ensure effective synergies between the CSD and other existing inter-governmental instruments and processes, including different multilateral agreements, UN programmes and funds, and regional processes?

There is need to broaden the CSD spectrum to cover/ include other world economic sectors within the SD arena i.e. Trade, Financial Planning, health, world economy etc (go beyond ecological and environmental spheres of influence).

There is need to facilitate the effective cascading and implementation of synergistic approaches to the national level.

The ideal roles or contributions of intergovernmental bodies would be the political commitment to agreements and decision making roles.

Question 3

How can the institutional framework ensure effective coordination among different agencies and organizations responsible for aspects of sustainable development?.

The institutions should ensure effective sub-regional and national representation much in the same way UNESCO and UNEP have established secretariats in sub-regions. UNCSD needs to be more visible through agencies in countries and sub-regions.

Question 4

Does your country / the country(ies) of interest to your group have an active national sustainable development council (NSDC) in place? Yes/No. Do you think an active NSDC could facilitate national preparations for UNCSD? If so, how? Provide contact of Focal Point for country's NSDC.

Some success has been realised regarding Botswana?s National Conservation Strategy (NCS) and the National Environmental Action Plan.

An Environmental Information System (EIS) was developed in April 2009 through the implementation of the UNDP-GoB Environment Support Programme which ended in December 2009. The EIS is a electronic platform that enhances access to environmental information across all sectors based on number of themes, including biodiversity, climate, water, land, energy and waste. Through the EIS the DEA produced in 2010 the Botswana Environment Outlook, which is an improved version of the 2002 State-of-the-Environment Report

The overarching Environmental Management Act is currently at Bill Stage. The Act will set the environmental principles and establish institutions to oversee the national environmental management and planning activities. The Ministry management is currently engaged on a dialogue on the institutional arrangements provided for in the draft bill with a view to reconcile them with the other functions within the Ministry. Through the EMA the Environmental Affairs Council (EAC), the Environmental Appeals Board and the Secretariat to the Council will be set up.

The establishment of the National Environmental Fund is at advanced stage. The draft order has been finalized by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), and vetted by the Attorney General?s Chambers. It is expected to be gazetted in August 2010

Okavango Delta Management Plan (ODMP) was developed in 2006 and produced several planning tools which are guiding planning in the Ngamiland district. Implementation of the ODMP products has commenced and has informed the development of the Ngamiland District Development Plan. Among the key ODMP planning tools are the waste management strategy, information management system, research strategy, integrated land use plan, communications strategy, tourism development plan, policy review and Shakawe Development plan. As an off-shoot of the ODMP, the MEWT collaborated with the Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre (HOORC) of the University of Botswana to further pilot biological diversity initiatives targeting fisheries, wildlife, waste and water to develop specific management plans for improved biodiversity monitoring. This is a five year GEF funded project ending in December 2010.

The Makgadikgadi Framework Management Plan will determine key development scenarios to enhance opportunities for integrated planning and inform development planning decisions in sectors of agriculture, land management, tourism, local government, mining, wildlife management, water, archaeology and heritage management. Action plans will be developed for implementation during NDP by relevant sectors.

Multi-lateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) ? several have been ratified by Botswana since the early 1990s. These include biological diversity, wetlands, desertification, chemicals management, waste management, climate change and action plans have been developed to facilitate implementation of provisions of the conventions. Reporting to convention secretariats and conference of parties has been undertaken with respect to some conventions. At a regional level the MEWT works in partnership with the Ministry of Minerals Energy and Water Resources to participate in transboundary river basin management in the Okavango, Limpopo, Zambezi and Orange systems through membership in commissions and provision of input on ecological elements within water resource management activities.

Ecosystem planning guidelines have been developed asp art of the Environmental Support Programme between UNDP and MEWT. The guidelines are designed to assist district planners incorporate ecological considerations in their planning activities for sectors such as lands, agriculture, settlement planning, water management and waste management. The guidelines have been incorporated into the revised district planning handbook in 2009.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act was enacted in 2005 to enforce implementations of actions that will pay due regard to the conservation and protection of natural resources in order to support development objectives. To-date all new developments have been subjected to EIA procedures and management plans developed to guide their operations, towards sound environmental management

The National Environmental Education Strategy and Action Plan (NEESAP) was developed in 1997 and revised in 2007. The NEESAP is implemented through the guidance of a multi-sectoral structure, National Environmental Education Committee. To-date environmental education has been infused into the education curricula at all levels of the education system. Awareness raising seminars, workshops, kgotla meetings, environmental fairs, exhibitions and commemorations have been held across all districts and for all levels of community sections, ranging from political, bogosi, local government, planners and civil society organisations.

Factors for these successes include establishment of institutions responsible for the coordination and implementation if the NCS.

Question 8

Since the UNCED (Rio) in 1992, has the participation of major groups and other relevant stakeholders in national decision-making processes on sustainable development significantly increased? Yes/No

Yes, there is a sizable number of NGOs in Botswana which work on issues relating to the environment and development. The constitution of Botswana provides an ideal environment for this since it provides for freedom of speech and freedom of association. The government recognizes and involves NGOs and the civil society in environmental decision making. A case which serves to best illustrate the participation of civil society in the national decision making process was the Namibian Eastern Water Carrier Project in 1996.Kalahari Conservation Society and Conservation International formed part of the team which negotiated with the Namibians. Thus two prominent NGOs in the country formed a partnership with the government and presented a united front in negotiations with the Namibian delegation. Public hearings were also held in order to involve civil society in decision making.
Another case which illustrates this was the down listing of the African elephant from Appendix I to II at CITES COP 10. This was achieved through lobbying of NGOs and Community Based Organizations (CBOs).
A number of parastatal organizations are also involved in activities relating to environmental management e.g.
1. Water Utilities provides portable water to rural and urban areas in Botswana
2. Institutes and departments of the University of Botswana conduct research in hydrology, water management, ecology, tourism management, natural resources management etc.
NGOs and CBOs play an increasingly important role in supporting or implementing community projects, disseminating information and advocating alternative points of view, thereby making some issues prominent on the environment agenda. They use different forms of engagement in decision making. The most commonly used is public hearings through the Kgotla (Traditional consultative gatherings) system.
Our government works in close collaboration with NGOs like Kalahari Conservation Society and Somarelang Tikologo. Private sector Organisations like Shell Oil Botswana, British Petroleum (BP) and Debswana, have provided funding to natural resource conservation activities. Another form of collaboration is with Trusts.
The impact of NGOs and CBOs has in particular been limited because of inadequate management skills and financial resources which has, in turn, resulted in the lack of sustainability of many of their initiatives. Their focus has therefore turned to high impact projects with short term duration.

Question 9

Please indicate which of the following forms of engagement of major groups in decision making are commonly used in the country(ies) or region(s) of interest to your group:

Are there examples, whether in the sustainable development domain or in related policy domains (e.g., MDGs, other), where an effective institutional framework has contributed to significant positive outcomes at national level? international level?

How can the lessons from such successes be used to enhance the effectiveness of the institutional framework for sustainable development? Are the lessons relevant to the Commission on Sustainable Development?

most important concrete outcomes of multi-stakeholder processes:
Ownership of strategies and decisions made
Empowerment (to make decisions, education and awareness, etc)
Optimal resource use
Effective action plans and strategies
Capacity to monitor

most effective means of strengthening major group and civil society participation in national sustainable development efforts:
Facilitating capacity building (human skills)
Involvement in all forums (national and international development forums)
Formation of representative, accountable and legal entities i.e. trusts
Harnessing of indigenous knowledge

Risks

Question 17

What decisions should UNCSD aim to reach on the institutional framework for sustainable development? What are the main risks threatening a successful UNCSD outcome on the institutional framework?

On emerging from the UN Conference on Sustainable Development the following Initiatives should emerge and be addressed:
? Broadening the scope of the SD arena and the UNCSD to more than the environmental perspective, to include other world economy sectors i.e. Trade, Tourism, Energy, Finance, etc.
? Cascading of the CSD portfolio to national and sub-regional representation.
? The possible establishment of a UNCSD body on the level of the other UN agencies, or the escalation of the UNEP into one such body i.e. WTO, UNESCO, ILO etc